U.S. patent number 10,409,458 [Application Number 15/186,824] was granted by the patent office on 2019-09-10 for image processing apparatus, method for controlling operation of image processing apparatus, and recording medium.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Ricoh Company, Ltd.. The grantee listed for this patent is Hirohisa Yabe. Invention is credited to Hirohisa Yabe.
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United States Patent |
10,409,458 |
Yabe |
September 10, 2019 |
Image processing apparatus, method for controlling operation of
image processing apparatus, and recording medium
Abstract
An image processing apparatus includes a user interface and
circuitry. The user interface displays a screen including a
plurality of graphical representations corresponding to a plurality
of application programs being installed on the image processing
apparatus. The circuitry counts a number of times of use, for each
of the plurality of application programs, each time of use being
counted when the application has been activated for at least a
predetermined time period, selects one of the plurality of
application programs having the greatest counted number of times of
use, as the application program that is most frequently used, and
controls the user interface to automatically display an operation
screen of the selected application program, when the image
processing apparatus is in an unused state.
Inventors: |
Yabe; Hirohisa (Kanagawa,
JP) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Yabe; Hirohisa |
Kanagawa |
N/A |
JP |
|
|
Assignee: |
Ricoh Company, Ltd. (Tokyo,
JP)
|
Family
ID: |
57775023 |
Appl.
No.: |
15/186,824 |
Filed: |
June 20, 2016 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20170017358 A1 |
Jan 19, 2017 |
|
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Jul 13, 2015 [JP] |
|
|
2015-139796 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N
1/00411 (20130101); H04N 1/00938 (20130101); G06F
3/0482 (20130101); H04N 1/00517 (20130101); H04N
1/00832 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G06F
3/0482 (20130101); H04N 1/00 (20060101) |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Dasgupta; Shourjo
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Harness, Dickey & Pierce
P.L.C.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An image processing apparatus comprising: circuitry configured
to count a number of times of use, for each respective application
program of a plurality of application programs installed on the
image processing apparatus, each time of use being counted when the
respective application program has been activated for at least a
determined time period, control a display to output a plurality of
graphical representations, each of the plurality of graphical
representations corresponding to one of the plurality of
application programs, select an application program of the
plurality of application programs having a greatest counted number
of times of use, and control a display to output an operation
screen of the selected application program when the image
processing apparatus is in an unused state, the control of the
display to output the operation screen of the selected application
program being performed in response to determining that the
selected application program corresponds to a graphical
representation of a subset of the plurality of graphical
representations, the subset of the plurality of graphical
representations being set to be displayed on a home screen.
2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the
circuitry is configured to count the number of times of use on a
time slot basis for each of the plurality of application programs,
and select an application program of the plurality of application
programs having the greatest counted number of times of use for a
current time slot of a plurality of time slots, the current time
slot corresponding to a current time.
3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the
circuitry is configured to select the application program having
the greatest counted number of times of use for the current time
slot in response to determining that a time slot setting is enabled
for the plurality of time slots.
4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the
circuitry is configured to determine that the time slot setting is
enabled based on a received instruction.
5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the
circuitry is configured to determine that the time slot setting is
enabled based on a received instruction.
6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the
circuitry is configured to select the application program having
the greatest counted number of times of use for the current time
slot in response to determining that a time slot setting is enabled
for the current time slot of the plurality of time slots.
7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the
determined time period is configured for each of the plurality of
application programs.
8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the
determined time period varies for each particular application
program of the plurality of application programs based on a length
of time taken to display the operation screen of the particular
application program in response to receiving an instruction to
execute the particular application program.
9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,
the circuitry is configured to receive an input that reselects a
graphical representation of the plurality of graphical
representations output by the display after the control of the
display to output the operation screen of the selected application
program is performed, and re-control the display to output the
operation screen of a specific application program among the
plurality of application programs corresponding to the reselected
graphical representation when the image processing apparatus is in
the unused state.
10. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the circuitry is configured to determine whether to reselect an
application program of the plurality of application programs based
on a first mode and a second mode after the control of the display
to output the operation screen of the selected application program
is performed when the image processing apparatus is in the unused
state, the application program having the greatest counted number
of times of use is reselected in the first mode, and an application
program identified by an instruction received from an external
source is reselected in the second mode.
11. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the circuitry is configured to selects the subset of the plurality
of graphical representations based on a received instruction.
12. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the circuitry is configured to control the display to output the
operation screen of the selected application program in response to
determining that the selected application program has a number of
times of use higher than a determined threshold.
13. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the circuitry is configured to control the display to output the
operation screen of the selected application program in response to
determining that the control of the display to output the operation
screen of the selected application program has been enabled.
14. The image processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein
the circuitry enables the control of the display to output the
operation screen of the selected application program based on a
received instruction.
15. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the image processing apparatus enters the unused state in response
to determining that none of the plurality of application programs
have been operated for a period of time, and a control panel of the
image processing apparatus has not been operated for the period of
time.
16. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the circuitry is configured to recount the number of times of use
after a determined duration.
17. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the circuitry is configured to count the number of times of use on
a time slot basis for each of the plurality of application
programs, select an application program of the plurality of
application programs having the greatest counted number of times of
use for a first time slot of a plurality of time slots, and
reselect an application program of the plurality of application
programs identified by an instruction received from an external
source for a second time slot of the plurality of time slots.
18. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further
comprising: the display including a touch panel, wherein the
circuitry is configured to control the display to output a user
interface including at least one of the plurality of graphical
representations, or the operation screen of the selected
application program.
19. A non-transitory machine-readable recording medium storing a
program for causing an image processing apparatus to perform a
method for controlling operation of the image processing apparatus
that, when executed by at least one processor of the image
processing apparatus, causes the at least one processor to: count a
number of times of use, for each respective application program of
a plurality of application programs installed on the image
processing apparatus, each time of use being counted when the
respective application program has been activated for at least a
determined time period; control a display to output a plurality of
graphical representations, each of the plurality of graphical
representations corresponding to one of the plurality of
application programs; select an application program of the
plurality of application programs having a greatest counted number
of times of use; and control the display to output an operation
screen of the selected application program when the image
processing apparatus is in an unused state, the control of the
display to output the operation screen of the selected application
program being performed in response to determining that the
selected application program corresponds to a graphical
representation of a subset of the plurality of graphical
representations, the subset of the plurality of graphical
representations being set to be displayed on a home screen.
20. A method for controlling operation of an image processing
apparatus, comprising: counting a number of times of use, for each
respective application program of a plurality of application
programs installed on the image processing apparatus, each time of
use being counted when the respective application program has been
activated for at least a determined time period; controlling a
display to output a plurality of graphical representations, each of
the plurality of graphical representations corresponding to one of
the plurality of application programs; selecting an application
program of the plurality of application programs having a greatest
counted number of times of use; and controlling the display to
output an operation screen of the selected application program when
the image processing apparatus is in an unused state, the
controlling the display to output the operation screen of the
selected application program being performed in response to
determining that the selected application program corresponds to a
graphical representation of a subset of the plurality of graphical
representations, the subset of the plurality of graphical
representations being set to be displayed on a home screen.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This patent application is based on and claims priority pursuant to
35 U.S.C. .sctn. 119(a) to Japanese Patent Application No.
2015-139796, filed on Jul. 13, 2015 in the Japan Patent Office, the
entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference
herein.
BACKGROUND
Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an image processing apparatus, a
method for controlling operation of an image processing apparatus,
and a non-transitory recording medium.
Description of the Related Art
Image processing apparatuses, such as printers or facsimiles that
output digitized information and scanners that digitize documents,
play an important role in a recent trend toward digitization of
information. Multifunction peripherals (MFPs) are a typical example
of such image processing apparatuses, which have multiple functions
such as an imaging function, an image forming function, and a
communication function to be used as a printer, a facsimile, a
scanner, and a copier.
Recent image processing apparatuses often include a control panel
implemented by a liquid crystal display (LCD) that supports a touch
panel system. The image processing apparatus controls execution of
various functions in response to a signal input from the control
panel according to a user operation. Accordingly, if a specific
function that is used frequently by a user is activated readily, a
user is able to use the image processing apparatus in a more
convenient manner.
SUMMARY
An image processing apparatus includes a user interface and
circuitry. The user interface displays a screen including a
plurality of graphical representations corresponding to a plurality
of application programs being installed on the image processing
apparatus. The circuitry counts a number of times of use, for each
of the plurality of application programs, each time of use being
counted when the application has been activated for at least a
predetermined time period, selects one of the plurality of
application programs having the greatest counted number of times of
use, as the application program that is most frequently used, and
controls the user interface to automatically display an operation
screen of the selected application program, when the image
processing apparatus is in an unused state.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A more complete appreciation of the disclosure and many of the
attendant advantages and features thereof can be readily obtained
and understood from the following detailed description with
reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of
an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the
present invention;
FIG. 2 is block diagram illustrating a configuration of a software
controller of the image processing apparatus of FIG. 1, which
cooperates with hardware, according to this embodiment;
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration
of a main controller of the image processing apparatus of FIG.
1;
FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration
of an operation display controller of the image processing
apparatus 1 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a view for describing a home screen displayed on a
display panel according to an embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG. 6 is a view for describing an operation screen of an
application displayed on a display panel according to an embodiment
of the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of displaying an
operation screen of an application according to an embodiment of
the present invention;
FIG. 8 is a view illustrating an example of setting information of
application display according to an embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG. 9 is a view illustrating an example of setting information of
application display associated with different periods of time
according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of counting the
number of times an application is used according to an embodiment
of the present invention;
FIG. 11 is a view illustrating an example of a setting of a time
period used when counting the number of times each application is
used according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 12 is a view illustrating an example of stored data indicating
the number of times each application is used in associated with
each time slot according to an embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG. 13 is a schematic view illustrating the frequency of use of
each application during each time slot according to an embodiment
of the present invention;
FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of identifying a
setting mode of a priority display setting according to an
embodiment of the present invention, and
FIG. 15 is an example of stored data indicating the number of times
each application is used throughout all time slots according an
embodiment of the present invention.
The accompanying drawings are intended to depict example
embodiments of the present invention and should not be interpreted
to limit the scope thereof. The accompanying drawings are not to be
considered as drawn to scale unless explicitly noted.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing
particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of
the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an"
and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless
the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further
understood that the terms "includes" and/or "including", when used
in this specification, specify the presence of stated features,
integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do
not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other
features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or
groups thereof.
In describing example embodiments shown in the drawings, specific
terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. However, the
present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the specific
terminology so selected and it is to be understood that each
specific element includes all technical equivalents that operate in
a similar manner.
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described
hereinafter with reference to drawings. In this embodiment, a
description is given of an image processing apparatus that is
capable of processing data transmitted from an information
processing device such as a personal computer, a smartphone, or a
tablet computer connected to the image processing apparatus via a
network.
First, a description is given of an exemplary hardware
configuration of an image processing apparatus 1 according to this
embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary
hardware configuration of the image processing apparatus 1
according to this embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the image
processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment has
substantially the similar configuration to that of an information
processing apparatus such as a general personal computer (PC) or
server. Specifically, the image processing apparatus 1 according to
this embodiment includes, a central processing unit (CPU) 10, a
random access memory (RAM) 20, a read only memory (ROM) 30, a hard
disc drive (HDD) 40, and an interface (I/F) 50, which are connected
to one another via a bus 90. In addition, the image processing
apparatus 1 includes a liquid crystal display (LCD) 60, a control
panel 70, and a dedicated device 80, which are connected to the I/F
50.
The CPU 10 is a processor, which controls an entire operation of
the image processing apparatus 1. The RAM 20 is a high-speed
read/write volatile storage medium. The CPU 10 uses the RAM 20 as a
work area when processing data. The ROM 30 is a read-only
non-volatile storage medium that stores programs such as firmware.
The HDD 40 is a read/write non-volatile storage medium that stores
an operating system (OS), various control programs, and application
programs. The application program will be referred to as an
"application" hereinafter.
The I/F 50 connects the bus 90 to various hardware resources or a
network for control. The LCD 60 is a visual user interface that
allows a user to recognize a status of the image processing
apparatus 1. The control panel 70 is a user interface that allows a
user to input data to the image processing apparatus 1. In this
embodiment, the control panel 70 includes a touch panel and a
hardware key.
The dedicated device 80 is hardware for implementing a specific
function of the image processing apparatus 1. Specifically, the
dedicated device 80 includes, for example, a print engine 106 (FIG.
2) that forms an image on a recording sheet for output, or a
scanner 102 (FIG. 2) that scans the image formed on the recording
sheet.
With such hardware configuration, the CPU 10 executes processing
according to a program that is stored in the ROM 30, the HDD 40 or
a recording medium such as an optical disc and loaded to the RAM 20
to function as a software controller. The software controller
operates in cooperation with hardware to implement one or more
functional blocks of the image processing apparatus 1 as
illustrated in FIG. 2.
Hereinafter, a description is given of an exemplary functional
configuration of the software controller of the image processing
apparatus 1 according to this embodiment with reference to FIG. 2.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the
software controller of the image processing apparatus 1, which
cooperates with hardware, according to this embodiment. As
illustrated in FIG. 2, the image processing apparatus 1 according
to this embodiment includes a controller 100, an automatic document
feeder (ADF) 101, the scanner 102, a sheet ejection tray 103, a
display panel 104, a sheet feeding table 105, the print engine 106,
a sheet ejection tray 107, and a network I/F 108.
The controller 100 includes a main controller 110, an engine
controller 120, an image processor 130, an operation display
controller 140, and an input/output controller 150. As illustrated
in FIG. 2, the image processing apparatus 1 according to this
embodiment is a multifunction peripheral that includes the scanner
102 and the print engine 106. In FIG. 2, an electrical connection
is indicated by a solid line while a flow of recording sheet is
indicated by a dashed line.
The display panel 104 is an output interface that visually displays
a status of the image processing apparatus 1. In addition, the
display panel 104 is also an input interface implemented by, for
example, a touch panel that allows a user to directly operate the
image processing apparatus 1 or input data to the image processing
apparatus 1. In other words, the display panel 104 also displays an
image that allows a user to input a user instruction. The display
panel 104 is implemented by the LCD 60 and the control panel 70
illustrated in FIG. 1.
The network I/F 108 is an interface that allows the image
processing apparatus 1 to communicate with another device via a
network. The network I/F 108 is compliant with Ethernet (registered
trademark) or a universal serial bus (USB), for example. The
network I/F 108 supports communications by TCP/IP protocol. In
addition, the network I/F 108 also functions as an interface for
executing a facsimile transmission when the image processing
apparatus 1 operates as a facsimile machine. For this reason, the
network I/F 108 is also connected to a telephone line. The network
I/F 108 is implemented by the I/F 50 illustrated in FIG. 1.
The controller 100 is implemented by a combination of software and
hardware. Specifically, a program that is stored in a nonvolatile
memory such as the ROM 30 or a non-volatile storage medium such as
the HDD 40 or an optical disc is loaded to a volatile memory such
as the RAM 20. The CPU 10 performs processing according to the
program loaded to the RAM 20 to implement a software controller.
The controller 100 is implemented by a combination of the software
controller and hardware such as integrated circuit. The controller
100 controls entire operation of the image processing apparatus
1.
The main controller 110 controls each unit included in the
controller 100 and gives an instruction to each unit of the
controller 100. The engine controller 120 functions as a driver
that controls or drives the print engine 106 or the scanner 102.
The image processor 130 generates drawing data based on image
information to be output for printing under control of the main
controller 110. This drawing data is information used by the print
engine 106, which functions as an image forming unit, to form an
image on a recording sheet.
Further, the image processor 130 also processes captured data that
is input from the scanner 102 to generate image data. This image
data is obtained as a result of scanning operation by the scanner
102 and stored in a storage area of the image processing apparatus
1. Alternatively, the obtained image data is sent to an external
information processing terminal or an external memory via the
network I/F 108.
The operation display controller 140 displays data on the display
panel 104. In addition, the operation display controller 140 sends
data that is input via the display panel 104 to the main controller
110. The input/output controller 150 inputs data that is input via
the network I/F 108 to the main controller 110. The main controller
110 controls the input/output controller 150 to access another
device on a network via the network I/F 108 or the network.
When the image processing apparatus 1 operates as a printer, the
input/output controller 150 receives a printing job via the network
I/F 108. The input/output controller 150 transfers the received
printing job to the main controller 110. In response to receiving
the printing job, the main controller 110 controls the image
processor 130 to generate the drawing data based on document
information or the image information contained in the printing
job.
The engine controller 120 controls the print engine 106 to form an
image on recording sheet that is transferred from the sheet feeding
table 105 based on the drawing data generated by the image
processor 130. In other words, the engine controller 120 and the
print engine 106 function as an image forming unit. The print
engine 106 may form an image using an inkjet image forming system
or an electrophotographic image forming system. The recording sheet
on which an image is formed is output to the sheet ejection tray
107.
Further, when the image processing apparatus 1 operates as a
scanner, the operation display controller 140 receives a scanning
instruction input from the display panel 104 according to a user
operation, and transfers a scanning signal to the main controller
110. Alternatively, the input/output controller 150 receives a
scanning instruction from an external terminal via the network I/F
108, and transfers a scanning signal to the main controller 110.
The main controller 110 controls the engine controller 120
according to the received signal for scanning.
The engine controller 120 drives the ADF 101 to transfer a document
to be scanned that is set at ADF 101 to the scanner 102. In
addition, the engine controller 120 drives the scanner 102 to image
the document that is transferred from the ADF 101. In a case where
the document is set at the scanner 102 instead of the ADF 101, the
scanner 102 images the document that is set at the scanner 102
under control of the engine controller 120. In other words, the
scanner 102 and the engine controller 120 operate as an imaging
unit and a reading control unit, respectively.
The scanner 102 includes an image pickup device such as a contact
image sensor (CIS) or a charge-coupled device (CCD). In imaging
operation, the image pickup device optically scans the document to
generate imaging information based on optical information. The
engine controller 120 transfers the imaging information generated
by the scanner 102 to the image processor 130. The image processor
130 generates image information based on the imaging information
received from the engine controller 120 under control of the main
controller 110.
In response to receiving the image information generated by the
image processor 130, the main controller 110 causes a storage
medium such as the HDD 40 that is provided with the image
processing apparatus 1 to store the image information. In other
words, the scanner 102, the engine controller 120, and the image
processor 130 operate in cooperation with one another to function
as an image input unit. The image information generated by the
image processor 130 is stored in the HDD 40 in accordance with a
user operation. Alternatively, the image information is sent to an
external apparatus via the input/output controller 150 or the
network I/F 108.
Furthermore, when the image processing apparatus 1 operates as a
copier, the image processor 130 generates drawing data based on the
imaging information received by the engine controller 120 from the
scanner 102, or the image information generated by the image
processor 130. The engine controller 120 drives the print engine
106 based on the drawing data generated by the image processor 130
in substantially the same manner as described above in connection
with the printing operation. When the drawing data and the imaging
information are substantially same in format, the imaging
information may be used as the drawing data.
Hereinafter, a description is given of an exemplary functional
configuration of the main controller 110 with reference to FIG. 3.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, the main controller 110 according to this
embodiment includes a graphics I/F 111, an application setting unit
112, a usage timer 113, a usage determiner 114, and an application
display unit 115.
The graphics I/F 111 processes data that is input and output to and
from the main controller 110.
The application setting unit 112 generates home screen setting
information based on data that is input to the main controller 110
from the control panel 70 according to a user operation. The home
screen setting information selects one or more applications to be
displayed on the home screen among a plurality of applications
installed on the image processing apparatus 1. More specifically, a
plurality of icons, each being a symbol associated with the
application selected by the home screen setting information, are
displayed on the home screen. Further, the application setting unit
112 generates a setting of priority display for causing an
operation screen of the selected application to be preferentially
displayed on the LCD 60, while not requiring the user input on the
home screen. For example, the application setting unit 112 may
select application to be preferentially displayed for each one of a
plurality of time slots of the day. The detail of this setting will
be described later with reference to FIG. 9. The application
setting unit 112 causes a storage medium such as the HDD 40 to
store the home screen setting information specifying one or more
application to be displayed on the home screen. The home screen is
a screen that is displayed just after the image processing
apparatus 1 is turned on and the OS boot-up ends. The home screen
displays one or more symbols such as an icon or a shortcut used for
activating the application installed on the image processing
apparatus 1. In other words, the user starts operating the image
processing apparatus 1 from the home screen.
The usage timer 113 measures a period of time each application is
being used. Specifically, the application loaded to the RAM 20 is
kept in a standby state until a signal for invoking the application
is input. In response to the signal for invoking the application,
the application starts processing for implementing the function of
that application. Accordingly, the usage timer 113 starts measuring
the period of time when the application is used from a time when
the usage timer receives information indicating the signal for
invoking the application that is in a standby state is input. This
point of time corresponds to a time when a user starts manipulating
an icon of the application via the control panel 70.
The usage determiner 114 determines whether the application is
actually used based on the period of time when the application is
being used. Further, the usage determiner 114 counts the number of
times the application is used based on the determination result as
to whether the application is actually used. In addition, the usage
determiner 114 updates the counted number of times of use of the
application to cause the storage medium such as the HDD 40 to store
the updated number of times.
The application display unit 115 refers to the information stored
in the storage medium such as the HDD 40, including the home screen
setting information, the setting of priority display, and the
number of times of use of the application, to select an application
to be displayed on the LCD 60. Specifically, the application
display unit 115 invokes the application that is loaded to the RAM
20 to display an operation screen of the invoked application on the
LCD 60.
Hereinafter, a description is given of configurations of the
operation display controller 140 and the display panel 104 with
reference to FIG. 4. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the operation
display controller 140 according to this embodiment includes an
information acquisition unit 141, an operation controller 142, an
operation information I/F 143, and a display controller 144.
The information acquisition unit 141 processes data that is input
or output to or from the operation display controller 140. The
operation controller 142 receives a signal input from the control
panel 70 according to a user's operation. The operation controller
142 outputs the received signal to the operation information I/F
143. The operation information I/F 143 outputs the signal received
from the operation controller 142 to the information acquisition
unit 141 in a format that can be processed by the controller 100.
The display controller 144 displays information that is output from
the information acquisition unit 141 on the LCD 60.
With such configuration, the image processing apparatus 1 according
to this embodiment displays, on the LCD 60, an operation screen of
an application that is frequently used. Specifically, the image
processing apparatus 1 counts the number of times the application
is used based on a period of time when the application has been
used since the application was invoked. Further, the image
processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment displays the
operation screen of the application that is frequently used by a
user based on the counted number of times of use of the
application. With such configuration and operation, a user is able
to operate the image processing apparatus 1 in a simple manner.
FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary view of the home screen displayed
on the LCD 60 based on the home screen setting information stored
in the storage medium such as the HDD 40. As illustrated in FIG. 5,
the home screen displayed on the LCD 60 includes a plurality of
icons, each being associated with a function provided by the
application. In FIG. 5, a copy icon 601, a scanner icon 602, a
facsimile icon 603, a printer icon 604, and a document storage icon
605 are displayed, which are associated with a copier function, a
scanner function, a facsimile function, a printer function, and a
document storage function, respectively.
The image processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment
refers to the home screen setting information set by the
application setting unit 112 to automatically, preferentially
display the operation screen of the application associated with an
icon that is set to be displayed on the home screen. One or more
icons to be displayed on the home screen are set based on a user
instruction input through the control panel 70. Accordingly, the
operation screen of an application associated with an icon that is
not displayed on the home screen is not preferentially displayed.
To delete or add a desired application on the home screen, the user
operates the control panel 70 to delete or add an icon
corresponding to the desired application from or to the home
screen. Alternatively, the user may operate the control panel 70 to
move a desired icon from the home screen to another screen.
The user who wants to use a copier application usually selects the
copy icon 601 on the home screen to display the operation screen of
the copier application on the LCD 60. FIG. 6 is a view illustrating
an example of the operation screen of the copier application
displayed on the LCD 60.
The operation screen of each application such as the operation
screen of the copier application as illustrated in FIG. 6 is
usually displayed on the LCD 60 when the corresponding icon as
illustrated in FIG. 5 is touched by the user. By contrast, in the
image processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the
operation screen of the application as illustrated in FIG. 6 is
automatically displayed even when there is no user's operation of
touching the icon on the home screen, when a predetermined
condition is satisfied.
Specifically, the operation screen of the application is
automatically displayed when the image processing apparatus 1 has
not performed any processing for a predetermined period of time.
More specifically, the operation screen of the application is
automatically displayed when the image processing apparatus 1 is in
an unused state, that is, for example, when no printing job is
input to the image processing apparatus 1, any one of the installed
applications has not been executed for a predetermined period of
time, and the control panel 70 has not been operated for a
predetermined period of time. Thus, the operation such as touching
the icon on the home screen can be omitted when utilizing each
application including the copier function.
Hereinafter, a description is given of an operation of displaying
the operation screen of the application without the user input on
the home screen with reference to FIG. 7. When the image processing
apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is in the unused state
(S701), the main controller 110 determines whether the setting of
priority display of the application is enabled (S702).
When the main controller 110 determines that the setting of
priority display is not enabled (S702: NO), the main controller 110
instructs the operation display controller 140 to perform display
on the LCD 60 in substantially the same manner as a normal mode
(S703). In the normal mode, for example, the operation display
controller 140 displays the home screen, turns off the screen in
response to transition to an energy saving mode, or displays a
screen for confirming the setting of priority display on the LCD 60
under control of the main controller 110.
When the main controller 110 determines that the setting of
priority display is enabled (S702: YES), the application display
unit 115 acquires the home screen setting information set by the
application setting unit 112 from the storage medium such as the
HDD 40 (S704). Then, the application display unit 115 acquires the
information on the number of times the application is used, which
is counted by the usage determiner 114, from the storage medium
such as the HDD 40 (S705). The application display unit 115
determines which application is to be preferentially displayed on
the LCD 60 based on the information acquired at S704 and S705
(S706).
The process at S705 may precede the process at S704, and vice
versa. For example, even though a certain application is set to be
displayed on the home screen, the operation screen of the certain
application is not preferentially displayed in a case where the
number of times the certain application is used is small. Further,
even though the number of times a certain application is used is
largest, the operation screen of the certain application is not
preferentially displayed in a case where the certain application is
not set to be displayed on the home screen.
The application display unit 115 sends information on the
application to be preferentially displayed to the operation display
controller 140 via the graphics I/F 111. The operation display
controller 140 acquires the information on the application to be
preferentially displayed via the information acquisition unit 141,
and outputs the acquired information to the display controller 144.
The display controller 144 displays, on the LCD 60, the operation
screen (see FIG. 6) of the application that is determined to be
preferentially displayed based on the information received from the
operation display controller 140.
With such procedure, the image processing apparatus 1 determines
the application to be preferentially displayed, and displays the
operation screen of the determined application on the LCD 60.
Alternatively, the application to be preferentially displayed may
be set as follows.
FIG. 8 is a view illustrating an example of the setting of priority
display set by the application setting unit 112. The user operates
the control panel 70 to enter an item relating to the setting of
priority display. The setting of priority display is enabled or
disabled according to an instruction input from the control panel
70 according to the user operation. In a case where the setting of
the priority display is enabled, the application to be
preferentially displayed is also set according to an instruction
input from the control panel 70 according to the user
operation.
FIG. 9 is a view illustrating an example of setting information
specifying the application to be preferentially displayed for each
time slot. As illustrated in FIG. 9, the setting of priority
display may associate different time slots with the different
application, respectively. Specifically, the application to be
preferentially displayed is set for each time slot. For example,
according to the setting as illustrated in FIG. 9, the operation
screen of the copier application is preferentially displayed from
12 AM to 9 AM, and the operation screen of the scanning application
is preferentially displayed from 9 AM to 3 PM. In addition, the
setting of the priority display is disabled in a time slot during
which the image processing apparatus 1 is hardly used. In an
example of FIG. 9, the setting of the priority display is disabled
from 9 PM to 10 PM.
Alternatively, as described above with reference to FIG. 7, the
image processing apparatus 1 automatically selects the application
to be preferentially displayed instead of the application specified
by the user, and displays the operation screen of the automatically
selected application on the LCD 60. In order to automatically
select the application to be preferentially displayed, the main
controller 110 counts, for each of the different applications, the
number of times the application is used, and causes the storage
medium to store the counted number of times in association with
each application. Hereinafter, a description is given of an
operation of counting the number of times the application is used
with reference to FIG. 10.
The usage timer 113 receives, from the graphics I/F 111,
information indicating that the application is invoked in response
to an input from the control panel 70 according to the user
operation. In response to receiving such information, the usage
timer 113 acquires a starting time when the use of the application
is started (S1001). Further, the usage timer 113 receives a
notification indicating that the use of the application ends
(S1002). Then, the usage timer 113 calculates the period of time
when the application is used based on the starting time acquired at
S1001 and the time when the usage timer 113 received the
notification at S1002 (S1003). The notification indicating that the
use of the application ends includes a signal of a content of
operation of the control panel 70 and a signal indicating a series
of processes executed by the application ends.
The usage determiner 114 compares the calculated period of time
when the application is used and a predetermined period of time,
which is set for each application (S1004). The detailed description
of the predetermined period of time set for each application is
given later with reference to FIG. 11. When the comparison result
indicates that the calculated period of time when the application
is used is shorter than the set period of time (S1004: NO), the
usage determiner 114 does not increment the number of times of use
of the application. When the comparison result indicates that the
calculated period of time when the application is used is equal to
or longer than the set period of time (S1004: YES), the usage
determiner 114 increments the number of times of use of the
application by one (S1005). Further, the usage determiner 114
summarizes the number of times the application is used to update
the information on the number of times the application is used
(S1006).
When the user operates the control panel 70 to make an input with
the display panel 104 supporting the touch panel system, the user
sometimes touch an icon or a point different from what the user
intends. If the application is activated in response to such
erroneous input and the number of times of use of the application
is incremented accordingly, the number of use of the application
counted by the usage determiner 114 does not reflect the actual use
of the application. The image processing apparatus 1 according to
this embodiment does not increment the number of times of use of
the application in a case where the application has been used for a
shorter period of time than the predetermined period of time. Thus,
the number of times of use of the application is counted accurately
based on the actual use of the application.
Further, the predetermined period of time that is used for counting
the number of times of use of the application may be varied
depending on a function implemented by the application. FIG. 11 is
a view illustrating an example of a setting of the period of time
for use in counting the number of times each application is used.
The length of time it takes to display the operation screen of the
application on the LCD 60 in response to the user's operation of
the corresponding icon varies depending on each application.
Accordingly, the timing when the user notices the user's operation
mistake also often varies depending on each application. As
illustrated in FIG. 11, the different periods of time, which are
used for counting the number of times the application is used, are
set respectively for the plurality of applications. With such
setting, the number of times each application is used is counted
more precisely without being influenced by the user's operation
mistake. The application setting unit 112 may set the different
periods of time respectively for the different applications in
accordance with an instruction input from the control panel 70
according to the user operation. The application setting unit 112
causes the storage medium such as the HDD 40 to store such setting
information.
FIG. 12 is a view illustrating an example of data stored in the
storage medium such as the HDD 40, indicating the number of times
each application is used in association with each time slot. In an
example of FIG. 12, the usage determiner 114 counts up the numbers
of times of use of the application every 30 minutes to update the
information stored in the storage medium such as the HDD 40. Thus,
the storage medium such as the HDD 40 stores the number of times
each application is used counted by the usage determiner 114. Note
that, a time interval at which the numbers of times of use of the
application are counted up may be determined in accordance with an
instruction input from the control panel 70 according to a user
operation.
FIG. 13 is a schematic view illustrating an example of how
frequently each application is used during each time slot.
According to an example of FIG. 13, a printing application is used
most frequently from 9 AM to 10 AM. In such case, an operation
screen of the printing application is displayed on the LCD 60 in a
case where the printer icon 604 is set to be displayed on the home
screen according to the home screen setting information.
As described heretofore, the image processing apparatus 1 according
to this embodiment counts the number of times of actual use of the
application by the user to preferentially display the operation
screen of the application that is frequently used. The image
processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment does not count
the activation of the application in response to the user's
erroneous operation when counting the number of times of use of the
application. Accordingly, the operation screen of the application
is preferentially displayed more accurately based on the actual
usage situation of the application. In addition, the image
processing apparatus 1 is also able to preferentially display the
application that is specified by the user. Accordingly, the image
processing apparatus 1 is able to provide the function thereof in
more convenient manner.
The present invention is not limited to the details of the example
embodiments described above, and various modifications and
improvements are possible. For example, depending on the plurality
of time slots, the operation screen of the application is
preferentially displayed in accordance with the priority display
setting specified by the user or the priority display setting for
automatically selecting the application based on the number of
times of use of the application.
FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary operation of
identifying a setting mode of the priority display setting.
Hereinafter, a description is given of an operation executed when
the image processing apparatus 1 is in the unused state and the
setting of the priority display is enabled (S1401) in substantially
the same manner as in S702. First, the application display unit 115
refers to the setting information that is set by the application
setting unit 112 and stored in the storage medium such as the HDD
40 to determine whether the priority display of the application is
set for each time slot (S1402).
When the application display unit 115 determines that the priority
display of the application is not set for each time slot (S1402:
NO), the application display unit 115 invokes the application
corresponding to the setting information. The graphics I/F 111
outputs information for displaying the operation screen of the
invoked application to the operation display controller 140. The
information acquisition unit 141 sends the information received
from the graphics I/F 111 to the display controller 144. The
display controller 144 displays the operation screen of the
application on the LCD 60 in accordance with the information
received from the information acquisition unit 141 (S1403). In
other words, at S1403, the operation screen of a specific
application that is specified in accordance with an instruction
input from the control panel 70 according to a user operation is
displayed regardless of any time slots, when the image processing
apparatus 1 is in the unused state.
By contrast, when the application display unit 115 determines that
the priority display of the application is set for each time slot
(S1402: YES), the application display unit 115 refers to the
setting information that is set by the application setting unit 112
and stored in the storage medium such as the HDD 40 to determine
whether the application to be preferentially displayed is specified
by the user for each time slot (S1404). In other words, the
application display unit 115 determines whether the setting of
priority display includes information as illustrated in FIG. 9.
When the application display unit 115 determines that the
application to be preferentially displayed is specified by the user
for each time slot (S1404: YES), the application display unit 115
invokes the application corresponding to the setting information.
The graphics I/F 111 outputs information for displaying the
operation screen of the invoked application to the operation
display controller 140. The information acquisition unit 141 sends
the information received from the graphics I/F 111 to the display
controller 144. The display controller 144 displays the operation
screen of the application on the LCD 60 in accordance with the
information received from the information acquisition unit 141
(S1405: scheduled setting application display). In other words, at
S1405, the operation screen of the application that is set for each
time slot in accordance with an instruction input from the control
panel 70 according to a user operation is displayed, when the image
processing apparatus 1 is in the unused state.
When the application display unit 115 determines that the
application to be preferentially displayed is not specified by the
user for each time slot (S1404: NO), the application display unit
115 refers to the information on the number of times of use of the
application, which is counted by the usage determiner 114 and
stored in the storage medium such as the HDD 40. Subsequently, the
application display unit 115 determines the application to be
displayed on the LCD 60 in substantially the similar way as the
processing from S704 to S706. Therefore, redundant descriptions of
an operation of determining the application to be displayed on the
LCD 60 are omitted below. Note that, in the processing
corresponding to S705, the application display unit 115 refers to
the information on the number of times of use of the application,
which is counted by the usage determiner 114 for each time slot as
illustrated in FIG. 12. Then, in the processing corresponding to
S706, the application display unit 115 determines which application
is to be displayed on the LCD 60 based on the information on the
number of times of use of the application corresponding to the
current time.
The graphics I/F 111 outputs information for displaying the
operation screen of the application that is determined to be
displayed on the LCD 60 to the operation display controller 140.
The information acquisition unit 141 sends the information received
from the graphics I/F 111 to the display controller 144. The
display controller 144 displays the operation screen of the
application on the LCD 60 in accordance with the information
received from the information acquisition unit 141 (S1406:
automatic application display). In other words, at S1406, the
operation screen of the application selected based on the frequency
of use is displayed on the LCD 60, when the image processing
apparatus 1 is in the unused state (see FIG. 7).
As described above, depending on the plurality of time slots, the
application to be preferentially displayed may be determined in
accordance with the setting specified by the user or automatically
selected based on the number of times of use of the application.
With such configuration and operation, the operation screen of the
application is preferentially displayed based on how the user
actually uses the image processing apparatus 1.
Note that, as illustrated in FIG. 15, the usage determiner 114 may
count the number of times of use throughout all time slots, for
each of the applications installed on the image processing
apparatus 1, and causes the storage medium such as the HDD 40 to
store the counted number of times of use. In this case, the
application display unit 115 determines the application to be
preferentially displayed based on the number of times of use
counted throughout all time slots, and displays the operation
screen of the determined application on the LCD 60.
Each function in the above-described embodiments may be implemented
by a program described in C, C++, C# or Java (registered
trademark). The program may be provided using any storage medium
that is readable by an apparatus, such as a hard disk drive,
compact disc (CD) ROM, magneto-optical disc (MO), digital versatile
disc (DVD), a flexible disc, erasable programmable read-only memory
(EPROM), or electrically erasable PROM. Alternatively, the program
may be transmitted via network such that other apparatus can
receive it.
Numerous additional modifications and variations are possible in
light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that
within the scope of the appended claims, the disclosure of the
present invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically
described herein. For example, elements and/or features of
different illustrative embodiments may be combined with each other
and/or substituted for each other within the scope of this
disclosure and appended claims.
Each of the functions of the described embodiments may be
implemented by one or more processing circuits or circuitry.
Processing circuitry includes a programmed processor, as a
processor includes circuitry. A processing circuit also includes
devices such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC),
digital signal processor (DSP), field programmable gate array
(FPGA), and conventional circuit components arranged to perform the
recited functions.
Further, the network can comprise any conventional terrestrial or
wireless communications network, such as the Internet.
* * * * *